Pp digital final

1. The digital era in the design and
manufacturing of orthodontic
appliances
I. Christopoulou1, K. Siotou2, A.I. Tsolakis2,3, N. Panayi4
1Department of Metabolic Bone Diseases, National and Kapodistria University of Athens
2Department of Orthodontics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
3Department of Orthodontics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland
4Private practice, Limassol, Cyprus.

2. The digital era in the design and manufacturing of orthodontic appliances
• Introduction: The incorporation of technological advances in the field of clinical orthodontics to increase treatment efficiency has led to the development of
computational tools for the design of fixed orthodontic appliances. Digital models were introduced commercially into the orthodontic market in 1999 by
OrthoCad (Cadent, Carlstadt, NJ). They were initially produced by scanning plaster casts created by pouring the impressions and later by scanning the
impressions directly. To date, traditional orthodontic appliances such as hyrax, lingual and transpalatal arches, Herbst appliances, are digitally designed and
produced, in many orthodontic offices worldwide.
• Aim/ Methods: The aim of this study is to illustrate several orthodontic appliances that have been digitally designed and manufactured and to highlight the
benefits of the digital evolution in the manufacturing of these devices.
• Results: As far as the advantages of digital design and manufacturing are concerned, the production of customized orthodontic appliances secures perfect
adjustment and application of the devices. We designed and printed digitally orthodontic appliances, such as a Hyrax preventing the thumb sucking (image 1),
palatal expanders with mini screws (image 2) and Nance space maintainers (image 3). Those personalized appliances do not need the mediation of a dental
technician, decreasing time for both patient and clinician. Therefore, this digital technique facilitates the work of the orthodontist, securing perfect fitting of
the appliances, and limits the frequency of incidents such as breakages.
• Conclusions: Digitally produced orthodontic appliances ensure complete adjustment, high quality and maximum efficiency. Orthodontists through this
technique are able to design custom made appliances for their clinical cases, offering personalized treatment, especially for the more complicated cases. Last,
the fully digital approach generates faster workflow for the orthodontist and quicker treatment time for the patient.
Figure 1: Hyrax appliance
preventing thumb sucking
Figure 2: Palatal expander
with mini screws
Figure 3: Nance space maintainer